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Tag: Senator Ali Modu Sheriff

  • Bama Emirate has rich cultural heritage, says ex-Gov Sheriff

    Bama Emirate has rich cultural heritage, says ex-Gov Sheriff

    A former Governor of Borno State and nationalist, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has extolled the values of the Bama Emirate Council in Borno State, describing it as rich in history.

    Senator Sheriff, who is the Galadima of Dikwa and a distinguished chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), spoke when he attended the prestigious presentation of the staff of office to the Shehu of Bama in Bama town. 

    Senator Sheriff congratulated His Royal Highness, Shehu Umar Kyari Umar El-Kanemi, on his swearing-in as the new Shehu of Bama Emirate Council.

    He acknowledged Bama Emirate as one of the four esteemed first-class emirates in Borno renowned for its rich historical traditions, cultural heritage, and significant contributions to the state’s development. 

    He noted that some of the traditions showcased during the event highlight the emirate’s enduring legacy.

    Senator Sheriff offered heartfelt prayers for lasting peace, prosperity, and stability in Bama Emirate and Nigeria as a whole. 

    He expressed his deepest desire for the well-being and happiness of the people.

    The ceremony was attended by top politicians, traditional rulers from Nigeria and abroad, and other dignitaries. 

    Notable attendees included high-ranking government officials, esteemed members of the APC, and respected traditional leaders from various parts of the country.

  • Sheriff, Shettima meet in Borno after years of political feud

    The former Governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff  on   Friday,  May 4, 2018 met with Gov. Kashim Shettima, his political son at  Borno Government House, Maiduguri amidst thousands of supporters.

    Sheriff’s meeting with Shettima has finally put to rest speculations of his defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC), a party he once held sway before moving to the PDP. The duo held meeting at the multi-purpose hall of the government house Maiduguri after the former governor was received by Gov Shettima at his official residence within the same vicinity.

    Our correspondent reports that the entire government house was saturated with Sherriff’s supporters, some of whom including the former governor have not touched the ground of the government house since 2011 after he handed over to Gov. Shettima.

    Details of the meeting were not readily available as pressmen were excused out of the meeting after the opening prayers.

    Our  correspondent however  learnt that the meeting of the duo  is to perfect and strengthen all grey areas of interests from the two camps  ahead of the ruling All Progressive Congress, (APC)   proposed stakeholders meeting slated  for Saturday culminating to the National convention of the party in June.

    Other reliable sources also informed that the meeting was centered on reconciliation, apologies and the lingering interim leadership tussles of the party and governorship candidate and other elective positions come 2019 which has attracted vested interest both from the camp of the incumbent Gov. Shettima and Sen Ali Modu Sheriff.

    While he was denied a heroic reception at the national secretariat more than a week ago, Sheriff had quietly returned to his ward where he rejoined the APC as advised along with thousands of his supporters from the opposition party, People Democratic Party, (PDP) two days ago at the Gamboru Ngala IDPs Camp Maiduguri from the APC party LGA executives.

    In his characteristic manner, Sheriff had earlier embarked on a money spraying spree through the streets of Maiduguri as his long convoy drove into the government house as people chats, in admiration “Yirne! Yirne! Yirne! In Kanuri language, meaning, spray! Spray! Spray!

    Read Also: Mass defection hits Delta PDP as Sheriff faction joins APC

     

  • Appeal Court affirms Olafeso as S’West PDP boss

    Appeal Court affirms Olafeso as S’West PDP boss

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Monday granted an Interim Order staying execution of all orders granted by the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti restraining the Dr. Eddy Olafeso-led Southwest Zonal Executive from functioning.

    The three-man panel led by Justice Ahmad Belgore stopped all proceedings at the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo pending the determination of the appeal.

    In granting the application for stay of execution of Justice Taiwo’s orders, the appellate court took cognizance of the pending application to commit Olafeso and his exco to prison for contempt scheduled to be heard at the Ado-Ekiti Federal High Court on 6th December.

    The court frowned at a letter dated 30th November, 2017 addressed to the Presiding Judge for the Ado-Ekiti Division, Justice Belgore, written by a factional Zonal Chairman, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, seeking the postponement of the hearing of the motion for a stay of execution brought by Olafeso.

    While Olafeso belongs to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s National Caretaker Committee, Ogundipe belongs to the sacked Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction.

    The Supreme Court had on 12th July affirmed Makarfi-led exco as the authentic leadership of the party and removed Sheriff from office as the national chairman.

    Justice Belgore ruled: “All the orders and rulings of the lower court delivered on October 17, October 23, November 8 and November 27, 2017 have been stayed in the interim, meaning that those orders and rulings are of no value as from now and cannot be used anywhere having been rendered null and void and that all the proceedings at the Federal High Court have been stayed pending the interlocutory appeal that is before the Appeal Court.”

    The court, subsequently, adjourned further hearing on the appeal till 15th January, 2017.

    Ogundipe had in a suit number FHC/AD/CS/18/2017 averred that the Supreme Court judgment did not invalidate his executive claiming the verdict only affected the national body led by Sheriff.

  • No law stops me from leaving PDP – Fayose

    No law stops me from leaving PDP – Fayose

    …Parades campaign buses without party logo

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has hinted on his readiness to quit the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the protracted factional crisis tearing the green-red-white umbrella to shreds.

    The governor has also showcased new campaign buses which have no PDP name and logo fueling speculations that he had perfected plans to move to another party.

    The campaign buses have the following inscriptions: “Support Continuity 2018, Fayose Wherever You Go, We Will Go”; “Ekiti 2018…Continuity, Fayose Leads, We Follow.”

    Buses including 35-seater Toyota Urvan and 18-seater Toyota Hiace, otherwise known as Toyota Hummer bus are parked in the premises of the Government House.

    TRENDING: Fayose removes PDP logo from campaign office, billboards

    The buses which are painted lemon green are embossed with the picture of a smiling Fayose wearing black “danshiki” with red embroidery and waving.

    The non-appearance of the PDP name and logo are tell-tale signs that Fayose has made up his mind to quit the umbrella party.

    But Fayose who hosted students and youths Wednesday evening at Government House grounds whose ages range between 18 and 22 emphasized that he won’t wait a day longer in the PDP if his faction loses the case at the Supreme Court.

    Many of the students who were attracted to the Government House with the governor’s promise of giving the first 300 that arrived laptops went home disappointed when the promise was not fulfilled.

    Fayose promised to organize a raffle draw to determine the laptop winners which did not go down well with the youths who were eager to go home with their prizes.

    RELATED: Fayose’s outfit on May Day

    Addressing the audience earlier, Fayose He also dropped a bombshell that stakeholders in the party loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi will defect to another party, if Senator Ali Modu Sheriff wins the appeal pending at the apex court.

    He did not mention the party they (Makarfi loyalists) would defect to in the event of a loss to Sheriff.

    When asked whether he has the intention of leaving the PDP as being rumoured, Fayose stated that no law prohibited him from defecting if the PDP can’t be a veritable platform for him to advance his political frontiers in 2018.

    Fayose said: “I am still a member of the PDP and still the Chairman of the PDP governor’s forum, there are no two sides to it.

    “But the strategy for 2018 poll is strictly my own business. No law says I should not run on the platform of another party if the PDP is no longer a right direction depending on circumstances.

    “If they are bent on destroying the PDP, let them go ahead but I will never have anything to do with Senator Sheriff. The party is like a vehicle and the vehicle can’t be more important than the driver.”

  • PDP crisis: Thugs attack Sheriff’s faction secretariat in Ekiti

    PDP crisis: Thugs attack Sheriff’s faction secretariat in Ekiti

    …Their allegation frivolous, says Fayose’s faction

     

     

    The secretariat of Ekiti State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to the National Chairman Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was on Wednesday attacked by people suspected to be political thugs.

    The building located at Nova Road junction in Adebayo area of Ado Ekiti, the state capital was vandalized in the early hours of the day with some facilities destroyed in the process.

    The invaders scaled the fence to gain entrance into the compound and smashed all the glass windows and uprooted all the flag poles and tore the PDP flags hoisted on them.

    The vandalized secretariat is the operational base of the Williams Ajayi-led faction loyal to Sheriff. The other faction led by Gboyega Oguntuase which is loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi is also backed by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    An Ado Ekiti Federal High Court on January 24 declared the Ajayi-led group as the authentic state executive of the party ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do business with it.

    But the Court of Appeal in Ado Ekiti last week ordered a stay of execution and held that the two factions should maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit before it

    Speaking with reporters on the attack, the Deputy Chairman of the Ajayi faction, Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi, alleged that the attack was carried out by the faction backed by Fayose calling on security agencies to up their game and prevent breakdown of law and order.

    Ogunbiyi said: “We left the office on Tuesday at about 6pm and only to return today around 7am and saw the flags erected brought down. The assailants scaled the fence and destroyed all the flags and the louvre blades of our office.

    “They even made spirited efforts to gain entry into the office, but they could not. As we speak now, our lives are being threatened and we want the public to be aware of this.

    “However, we had inkling that our office will be attacked with the threat issued by one of the Oguntuase’s executive to us when we met recently at the Court of Appeal that our office will be attacked.

    “Last week also, Governor Fayose went to a nearby spot within the vicinity of the office and distributed rice to the people. We are sure that the Oguntuase’s people are behind this and we need a prompt action from the security agencies”.

    But the spokesman of the Oguntuase faction, Jackson Adebayo, denied the accusation claiming that “erosion and rainstorm” might have affected the secretariat describing the allegation as “frivolous.”

    Adebayo said: “I saw what they are calling the press for and I concluded that they are still in shock how they got to that sorry pass.

    “There were storm and erosion, which affected their building and they are claiming that reasonable people would leave their jobs to be digging their fences and destroying blocks.

    “They should be pitied rather than responded to because there’s no such thing as what they are alleging.”

     

  • PDP: No accord with Sheriff, says Makarfi

    PDP: No accord with Sheriff, says Makarfi

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership tussle between Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi is far from over, regardless of Thursday’s agreement between the two factions to cease media hostilities.
    The Makarfi faction declared on Friday that there is no accord in place between it and the Sheriff camp.
    Prince Dayo Adeyeye, spokesman for the Makarfi faction, said in a statement in Abuja that the only area of agreement is that the two sides will withhold fire in the media for now.
     He said reports that they have reached a ‘political solution’ is not true, stressing that they only agreed before the Governor Dickson’s reconciliation committee  to “stop further media attacks on officers, elders and other stakeholders of the PDP across the internal political divide.”
    He added: “For the record, the agreement was not a political solution but rather an understanding reached urging representatives of ‘the key actors’ from both groups not to dissipate energy amongst themselves but to focus on how to unite as a formidable force capable of re-gaining power from the failed All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government in the 2019.
    “The agreement also implores both parties to desist from making public derogatory remarks against each other that could cause inflammatory reactions capable of dragging the party to the mud.”
    Adeyeye added that the national caretaker committee and all the organs of the party are working with the reconciliation committee to reach a lasting political solution.
    The four point media hostilities cessation agreement demands that  “all actors of the parties should desist from making derogatory, inflammatory and divisive statements against party officials, stakeholders and members.”
    It also said: “all key actors in the on-going peace process should henceforth desist from making public statements attacking each other and statements insinuating negative acts capable of dragging the party to the mud.”
  • I’ll constitute national convention committee soon – Sheriff

    I’ll constitute national convention committee soon – Sheriff

    The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has said he would soon set up a committee to work out modalities for the party’s national convention.

    Sheriff made this known while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja on the recommendations of the party’s Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa.

    He said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was already consulting with members and leaders of the party as part of process for constituting the convention committee.

    The chairman said that he was also talking with lawmakers at the National Assembly and State Assemblies on the platform of the party as part of political solution recommended by the Dickson committee.

    He added that he had commenced consultation with the Board of Trustees (BoT) through its Chairman, Sen. Walid Jibrin, who, he said, had promised to get back to him for a formal meeting with BoT members.

    He said that by next week they would meet with the party’s national ex-officio members from the 36 states.

    “Everywhere in our party, we are working across the board; everybody is working for the party to come back to its position in 1999.

    “We are for peace and that does not mean that we are afraid of anybody; we will not be relenting.

    “We need our party back in power and we will carry everybody that means well for PDP along.

    “I assure you that PDP will not be destroyed; PDP is a creation of God and cannot be destroyed by anybody.

    “We are on course and we will go as planned. For everybody that believes that it is not political solution, they are on their own,” he said.

    Sheriff reiterated his determination not to contest the national chairmanship at the national convention, adding that his NWC members had the right to contest for any position of their choice.

    On his presidential ambition for 2019, he said that it was a decision left for God.

    “Every position I occupied in life, God made it possible. I am a firm believer in the will of God. I told you I will not run for the chairmanship position, the rest we leave to God.”

    He, however, said that the party’s chairmanship position would definitely be for the Southern part of the country. (NAN)

  • Contempt: PDP asks court to jail Makarfi, Obi, others

    Contempt: PDP asks court to jail Makarfi, Obi, others

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has asked the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to jail his arch rival, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and some of his loyalists.

     

    Apart from the former governor of Kaduna State, Sheriff, who is also a former governor of Borno State, also listed three other prominent leaders of the party as those to be jailed by the appellate court.

     

    Sheriff and the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, accused Makarfi and others of flouting the order of the court, which was delivered on February 17, 2017.

     

    The court, in the judgment, had pronounced Sheriff as the national chairman of the party while it also upheld that Oladipo remained its national secretary.

    Apart from Makarfi, others named as alleged contemnors are the two other members of the sacked National Caretaker Committees, Senator Ben Obi (secretary) and Mr. Dayo Adeyeye(publicity secretary).

     

    He also listed a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, among the alleged contemnors.

     

    Sheriff, in suit number APPEAL NO: CA/PH/349/2016, asked the court to commit the four persons to prison for one year over the alleged contempt.

     

    Apart from the four named above, the PDP national chairman also listed a former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha; a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Senator Walid Jibrin; and an aspirant to the office of the party’s national chairman, Chief Bode George, as alleged contemnors.

     

    However, he did not pray the court to commit Ihedioha, Gana, Jibrin and George to prison, rather, he asked the court for an order restraining them from “proclaiming or otherwise holding out to the public that the 1st to 3rd  alleged contemnors are national  officers of the PDP for any purpose whatsoever.”

    Listed as defendants in the case are the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services.

     

    The duo asked the court to stop Makarfi and his group from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

     

    They also asked the court to direct the IGP and the DSS to close down the factional secretariat being operated by the Makarfi group.

     

    Apart from that, they also asked the court not to transmit the records of the court proceedings to Markarfi and his group, saying they didn’t have the permission of the party to get it.

     

    Oladipo, who signed an affidavit in support of the claim, stated that on February 17, “soon after the judgment was delivered, the alleged contemnors proceeded to address the media and to comment negatively, contemptuously, disparagingly and contumeliously on the findings and order of the court set out above.”

     

    He added, “Rather than accept that the justice of the matter as determined by this honourable court was as expressed in the findings, holdings and order set out above, the 4th to 8th Alleged Contemnors made statements encouraging the 1st to 3rd respondents to defy the order of the court and flout the purpose of the court’s judgment delivered on the 17th of February 2017.”

     

    He said it was on this basis that the alleged contemnors placed notices in newspapers, where they convened a meeting of what they called “PDP stakeholders.”

     

    He stated, “The said meeting was held on Monday, February 20, and was attended by the 4th to 8th alleged contemnors, who made further statements encouraging the 1st to 3rd alleged contemnors to defy the holdings and order of the court.”

     

    The motion on notice for the committal of the alleged  contemnors was filed by eight lawyers, led by a former Minister of Justice, Akin Olujimi (SAN), who was joined by two other SANs – Dr. Alex Izinyon  and B. E. Nwofor – among others.

     

    The lawyers said, “The actions of the alleged contemnors, as shown in the affidavit in support of this application, have the effort of flouting the purpose of the judgment of this Honourable court, which purpose is to properly regulate the exercise of powers by the alleged contemnors against the applicants and 1st Respondent; avoid any further anarchy, lawlessness and deepening crisis capable of heating up the Nigerian polity; and establish the requirements of the rule of law and due process in the administration of justice.

     

    “Although the alleged contemnors were not parties to the action in court, it is our humble submission that they have a responsibility to ensure that they do not aid and abet the disobedience of the judgment order or treat the said judgment with disdain and disrespect.”

     

    Markarfi and the other faction of the party are believed to have filed an application seeking for stay of execution of the judgment and leave for appeal.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of Sheriff’s case, which was filed on February 24, 2017.‎

  • Sheriff consults Anenih over PDP leadership crisis

    Sheriff consults Anenih over PDP leadership crisis

    Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday met with Chief Tony Anenih to consult him on the party’s leadership crisis.

    NAN reports that Anenih is a founding father of the party.

    The Court of Appeal had on Feb. 17, pronounced Sheriff as chairman of the party, while the Alhaji Ahmed Markafi group said it would appeal the ruling.

    Markafi, a former governor of Kaduna State is being supported by the present PDP governors.

    Sheriff, after the close door meeting with Anenih at his Abuja resident, informed newsmen that the visit was to seek Anenih’s advice on ways to reposition the party.

    “If there are two founding fathers, Cheif Anenih is one. Therefore, as a father, I came to consult with him.

    “I came to tell him that this is the situation we are. He as a father who formed this party, should help us on how to reposition the party to the period of 1999.

    “Baba has given us kind and fatherly advice on all matters,’’ Sheriff said.

    Anenih, a former Board of Trustees Chairman of PDP, who declined comment on advice he offered to Sheriff, said it was a meeting between father and sons.

    “I have spoken to my son. He will speak with others,’’ Sheriff said.

    Also speaking with newsmen, the Vice Chairman of PDP, Dr Cairo Ojougboh said that the visit was part of efforts by Sheriff-led leadership to re-unite members of the party.

    He said that the consultation with party leaders across the country would continue.

    “We are doing this in order to come up with a formidable party,’’ he said.

    Asked if the Sheriff group actually broke into the party secretariat as insinuated by the party caretaker committee members, Ojougboh said it was not true.

    He said that after the Court of Appeal judgment, the court served the police, and the Directorate of State Security Service the judgment.

    “Mr Chairman did not break in, it was police who locked the secretariat that re-opened it,’’ he said.

    Sheriff had on Thursday evening re-opened the secretariat which had been under lock since May 2016.

  • Appeal Court judgement, temporary setback – Makarfi

    Appeal Court judgement, temporary setback – Makarfi

    The Caretaker committee Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Muhammad Makarfi has described Friday’s ruling of the Court of Appeal which gave judgement in favour of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as a temporary set-back.

    Addressing newsmen at  his Kaduna residence in reaction to the ruling ,the PDP chieftain reiterated that his party would overcome this set back politically and legally and would come out of it stronger‎ and bigger.

    He said further, ‘”We have utmost respect for the judiciary. So we are not going to take the laws into our hands. We might not agree with the judgement but there is a process and procedure if you did not agree with something.

    To this end, he said, “as an individual, I cannot decide for the party until the party stakeholders meet and take a definite decision.

    “The party will meet on Monday to take a decision of the Court of Appeal Judgement. Every person concerned had been notified. The governors, members of the National Assembly, members of the Board of trustees and Party officials.”

    He therefore called on party members to remain calm, urging them to remember that PDP is in opposition. “We have to accept this temporary set-back,” he reiterated.

    He maintained that since he took over the party, the party had done a lot of things to remain afloat, pointing out, “We will not allow opposition to be killed. We must strive to ensure that we survive for the sake of democracy and the country.

    Asked if on Monday, the Ali Modu sheriff faction might occupied the party secretariat based on the judgement, he said he is not in position to tell the world what Sheriff will do.

    However, he would be surprised if the security will allow him (Sheriff) access to the party secretariat.

    “When a court ruled in our favour sometimes ago, we were not allowed to occupy the secretariat. So, we are going to see what happens this time around,” he emphasised.